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Martha the Moose? Lady moose hanging around northern New Mexico
Marty Moose pictured before his capture in Santa Fe in September 2023.
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The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish says a female moose has been hanging around the Taos area.
Darren Vaughan, a Game and Fish spokesman, said the moose was in Taos County and 鈥渋n the general area鈥� of the town.
鈥淭he moose is presently safe and appears healthy,鈥� Vaughan said in a news release. 鈥淭he Department will continue to monitor its movements and will take appropriate actions to ensure public safety.鈥�
He said moose are a protected game animal in the state and there is no hunting season for moose, adding 鈥渋t is unlawful to harvest or harass them in the state.鈥�
Vaughan said the public should keep its distance if the animal is spotted.
鈥淢oose can be dangerous and should not be approached for any reason,鈥� he said. 鈥淚f a moose charges you or otherwise shows signs of aggression, run as fast as you can and try to put a boulder, car, tree or other large object between you and it.鈥�
Vaughan said an aggressive moose will display signs like having its ears laid back, licking its snout or having the hair on its neck raised.
It鈥檚 the second time a moose has garnered the department鈥檚 attention.
Last year, Marty Moose, a visitor from Colorado, made headlines as he toured northern New Mexico, leading to social media fame and a Facebook group 鈥淢arty Moose Fan Club鈥� with 21,000 followers.
In September 2023, Game and Fish tranquilized Marty after he wandered into a Santa Fe neighborhood and relocated him to northern New Mexico.
Vaughan on Thursday said there was no news to share about Marty.
鈥淲e have not received any updates on Marty鈥檚 whereabouts since September 2023,鈥� he said.
Although people in the Facebook group posted alleged sightings of Marty in Abiquiu in October, his current location is unknown.
Asked about what would happen if the two moose hooked up somewhere along the line, Vaughan said Game and Fish 鈥渄o not believe it is likely that a large-scale moose population would occur in New Mexico.鈥�
He said moose need a cool climate with wetland habitat 鈥� something plentiful in Colorado but less so here. Vaughan said younger moose often end up in the Land of Enchantment looking for a new home and 鈥渂reeding opportunities.鈥�
He said they often go back to Colorado once they realize the moose habitat pickings are slim. That doesn鈥檛 mean Marty and the lady moose won鈥檛 rendezvous.
鈥淗owever, should the situation described above arise, the Department would assess the situation at that time to determine next steps,鈥� Vaughan said.
Back when Marty was relocated, the fan club was hopeful, with one post suggesting the relocation of a female moose to 鈥渃reate a family.鈥�
One woman commented: 鈥淚f there鈥檚 a lady moose who finds him as hottie-hottie as we do, she will find him on her own. Again, this isn鈥檛 a zoo. They can follow their own breeding instincts without human interference.鈥�
